Emotional support dog mauls girl at Portland airport, lawsuit claims

The mother of a five-year-old girl mauled by a dog at an airport has filed a $1.1 million lawsuit against the Port of Portland for allegedly letting a dangerous “emotional support animal” into the airport without a carrier.

The Oregonian reports the lawsuit filed by Mirna Gonzalez lists two other defendants: the dog’s owner, Michelle Brannan, and Alaska Airlines.

The suit claims Brannan should have known that her dog had “vicious propensities.”

The suit says the airline is at fault for allegedly allowing Brannan to bring a dangerous dog into the gate waiting area, where the attack happened, when the dog wasn’t a trained service animal and wasn’t properly confined.

Brannan couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday. The Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines declined comment.